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Biomedical subjects

E Lowenstein

Publications and source records attributed to E Lowenstein.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Cloning of PI3 kinase-associated p85 utilizing a novel method for expression/cloning of target proteins for receptor tyrosine kinases.

A novel method has been developed to allow cloning of protein targets for receptors with tyrosine kinase activity. By utilizing the carboxy-terminal tail of EGF receptor (EGFR) as a probe to screen lambda gt11 expression libraries, several EGFR-binding proteins have been cloned; two have been analyzed and contain unique SH2 and SH3 domains. One gene (GRB-1) has been fully sequenced, is expressed in various tissues and cell lines, and has a molecular mass of 85 kd. Interestingly, GRB-1 encodes the human counterpart of the PI3 kinase-associated protein p85. Advantages of this technique include the ease of cloning tyrosine kinase receptor targets present at low levels and the ability to identify proteins that are related in their capacity to bind activated receptors but contain no significant DNA sequence homology. This method, termed CORT (for cloning of receptor targets), offers a general approach for the identification and cloning of various receptor targets.

Amino Acid Sequence

Myocardial perfusion as assessed by thallium-201 scintigraphy during the discontinuation of mechanical ventilation in ventilator-dependent patients.

Patients who cannot be separated from mechanical ventilation (MV) after an episode of acute respiratory failure often have coexisting coronary artery disease. The authors hypothesized that increased left ventricular (LV) wall stress during periods of spontaneous ventilation (SV) could alter myocardial perfusion in these patients. Using thallium-201 (201TI) myocardial scintigraphy, the authors studied the occurrence of myocardial perfusion abnormalities during periods of SV in 15 MV-dependent patients (nine women, six men; aged 71 +/- 7 yr, mean +/- SD). Fourteen of these patients were studied once with 201TI myocardial scintigraphy during intermittent mechanical ventilation (IMV) and again on another day, after at least 10 min of SV through a T-piece. One patient was studied during SV only. Thirteen of 14 of the patients (93%) studied during MV had abnormal patterns of initial myocardial 201TI uptake, but only 1 patient demonstrated redistribution of 201TI on delayed images. The remainder of the abnormalities observed during MV were fixed defects. SV produced significant alterations of myocardial 201TI distribution or transient LV dilation, or both, in 7 of the 15 patients (47%). Four patients demonstrated new regional decreases of LV myocardial thallium concentration with redistribution of the isotope on delayed images. The patient studied only during SV also had myocardial 201TI defects with redistribution. Five patients (3 also having areas of 201TI redistribution) had transient LV dilation during SV.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aged

Neutralization of low molecular weight heparin by polybrene prevents thromboxane release and severe pulmonary hypertension in awake sheep.

Protamine reversal of heparin anticoagulation in patients is occasionally associated with life-threatening acute pulmonary hypertension. In a sheep model, we evaluated the effect on this adverse cardiopulmonary reaction of modifying the type of heparin (low molecular weight heparin compared with unfractionated heparin) and the type of heparin antagonist (polybrene compared with protamine). Protamine reversal of low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) and polybrene reversal of unfractionated heparin induced more than a 10-fold increase of plasma thromboxane B2 levels, a threefold increase of pulmonary vascular resistance and pulmonary artery pressure, and a 25% decrease of PaO2. A similar adverse reaction followed protamine reversal of conventional unfractionated heparin. However, with polybrene (1 mg/kg) reversal of LMWH (1 mg/kg), we measured neither pulmonary hypertension (pulmonary artery pressure was 22.6 +/- 3.6 mm Hg at 1 minute after polybrene reversal of LMWH compared with 47.9 +/- 4.2 mm Hg after protamine reversal of unfractionated heparin, p less than 0.005 groups differ), hypoxemia (PaO2 was unchanged 2 minutes after polybrene compared with a decrease of 26 mm Hg 2 minutes after protamine, p less than 0.05), nor acute release of thromboxane into arterial plasma (thromboxane B2 was 0.2 +/- 0.1 at 1 minute after polybrene compared with 3.7 +/- 1.7 ng/ml at 1 minute after protamine, p less than 0.005). The hemodynamic effects and mediator release were also benign after neutralization of larger doses of LMWH (3 mg/kg) by polybrene (3 mg/kg). The increases of activated clotting time and activated partial thromboplastin time due to both types of heparin were completely reversed with polybrene. Anti-Xa activity increased to more than 3 IU/ml 4 minutes after LMWH anticoagulation (p less than 0.01) but was only partially neutralized by polybrene. Various polyanion-polycation complexes that are formed when heparin anticoagulation is reversed induce thromboxane release and acute pulmonary vasoconstriction in awake sheep. Reversal of LMWH anticoagulation with polybrene does not elicit this adverse reaction.

Animals

Thromboxane receptor blockade prevents pulmonary hypertension induced by heparin-protamine reactions in awake sheep.

We used competitive thromboxane A2-prostaglandin endoperoxide receptor blockade (SQ 30,741) as a probe to evaluate the role of thromboxane in ovine pulmonary vasoconstriction associated with protamine reversal of heparin anticoagulation. Control heparin-protamine reactions induced rapid release of thromboxane into arterial plasma (more than 1 ng/ml plasma), a 2.5-fold increase of pulmonary artery pressure, a 20% decrease of PaO2, and a 30% reduction in arterial white blood cell concentration. After giving SQ 30,741 despite similar thromboxane release into arterial plasma after heparin-protamine challenge, acute pulmonary hypertension was significantly reduced when 94% of pulmonary vascular smooth muscle thromboxane receptors were occupied with SQ 30,741 (p less than 0.01 at 1 minute after protamine versus control heparin-protamine reaction) and was completely abolished by a 10 mg/kg i.v. bolus (p less than 0.0001 at 1 minute after protamine versus control). Peripheral leukopenia was not affected by SQ 30,741 prophylaxis, but hypoxemia was prevented. We conclude that thromboxane causes pulmonary vasoconstriction in ovine heparin-protamine-induced pulmonary hypertension. Pulmonary vasoconstriction and hypoxemia can be completely prevented by thromboxane receptor blockade.

Animals

Ventricular performance and glucose uptake in rats during chronic hypobaric hypoxia.

To identify changes of ventricular performance and their relationship to myocardial glucose uptake in Sprague-Dawley rats exposed to hypobaric hypoxia, radionuclide angiocardiograms (n = 34) and 2-[14C]deoxyglucose (2-[14C]DG) autoradiography (n = 14) were performed on rats maintained either for two weeks in air at 380 mmHg (hypoxic group), two weeks in hypobaric hypoxia followed by two weeks of air (recovered group), or in air (control group). Right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) was 66% +/- 2% (mean +/- s.e.m.) in controls, 40% +/- 3% during hypoxia, and 60% +/- 2% in recovered rats. LVEF remained unchanged. In controls, RV 2-[14C]DG uptake was 77% +/- 3% of LV uptake. During hypoxia, 2-[14C]DG uptake increased. This increase was greater within the RV than the LV and septum (85 +/- 16% versus 51 +/- 10%, p less than 0.005). The alterations of RV 2-[14C]DG uptake correlated with systolic pulmonary artery pressure (r = 0.77, p = 0.002).

Animals

Association of protamine IgE and IgG antibodies with life-threatening reactions to intravenous protamine.

Life-threatening reactions to intravenous protamine, administered to reverse heparin anticoagulation, have been reported with increasing frequency as a consequence of the escalating use of cardiac catheterization and coronary bypass surgery. Retrospective studies have shown that such reactions are more common in diabetic patients receiving daily subcutaneous injections of protamine-insulin preparations. To determine whether anti-protamine IgE or IgG antibodies might explain the increased risk for protamine reactions among patients with protamine-insulin-dependent diabetes, we conducted a case-control study of 27 patients (diabetic and nondiabetic) who had acute reactions to intravenous protamine and 43 diabetic patients who tolerated protamine without a reaction during diagnostic or surgical procedures. Cases and controls were grouped according to previous exposure to protamine-insulin preparations. In diabetic patients who had received protamine-insulin injections, the presence of serum antiprotamine IgE antibody was a significant risk factor for acute protamine reactions (relative risk, 95; P = 1.0 X 10(-5), as was antiprotamine IgG (relative risk, 38; P = 1.2 X 10(-5). No patients without previous exposure to protamine-insulin injections had serum protamine IgE antibodies. In this group, anti-protamine IgG antibody was a risk factor for protamine reactions (relative risk, 25; P = 0.0062). We conclude that in protamine-insulin-dependent diabetics, the increased risk of serious reactions when intravenous protamine was given appeared to be caused largely by antibody-mediated mechanisms. In nondiabetic subjects, the presence of protamine IgG was significantly associated with an increased risk of acute protamine reactions, although many nondiabetic subjects who had reactions had no IgG antibodies.

Adult

Comparison of hemodynamic, electrocardiographic, mechanical, and metabolic indicators of intraoperative myocardial ischemia in vascular surgical patients with coronary artery disease.

To compare mechanical, electrocardiographic, and metabolic indices of myocardial ischemia, the cardiokymogram (CKG), the V5 ECG, left anterior descending coronary artery territory lactate extraction, and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) were measured in 53 vascular surgical patients with coronary artery disease. Measurements were performed preoperatively and at four specific intraanesthetic intervals: after tracheal intubation, before surgery, and 10 and 30 min after incision. Measurements and sampling sequence took 5-7 min, and therapy for the probable cause of ischemia was instituted following completion of this sequence. Myocardial ischemia was defined as type II or III CKG, 0.1 mV or greater horizontal or downsloping depression of V5 ECG ST segment, 0.2 mV or greater elevation of V5 ECG ST segment, or myocardial lactate production. Thirty-nine patients (74%) had a total of 89 episodes of myocardial ischemia. Seventy-four episodes (83%) were detected by the CKG, 31 (44%) were evident on the ECG, and 13 (15%) by evidence of lactate production. The concordance among the indices of myocardial ischemia was poor. Patients with an abnormal preoperative ECG experienced a greater number of ischemic episodes (P less than 0.001). Elevation of PCWP or the presence of A-C or V-waves greater than 5 mmHg above the mean did not individually reflect ischemia reliably. Intraoperative myocardial ischemia is common in vascular surgical patients and is most sensitively detected by ventricular wall motion abnormality.

Aged

Effect of platelet depletion on lung vasoconstriction in heparin-protamine reactions.

In six awake sheep the control heparin-protamine reaction was associated with a 150-fold rise in arterial plasma thromboxane B2 (TxB2) levels, a 4.5-fold increase in pulmonary vascular resistance, a 20% decrease in cardiac output, a 30% decrease in arterial PO2, and a 30% reduction in arterial white blood cell concentrations. Depletion of 99% of circulating platelets by antibodies did not prevent either acute and severe pulmonary hypertension or increased plasma TxB2 levels induced by heparin-protamine administration. We produced sheep platelet aggregation in vitro with bovine thrombin and measured marked TxB2 release (36.3 +/- 16.3 ng/10(9) platelets). In contrast, neither heparin, protamine, nor heparin-protamine complexes over a 10,000-fold range of concentrations induced platelet aggregation and release of thromboxane in vitro. Therefore sheep platelets are not the source of thromboxane production associated with acute pulmonary hypertension during the heparin-protamine reaction, and other cells must produce the thromboxane.

Animals

Perioperative cardiac problems.

Cardiovascular complications of surgery--myocardial infarction (MI), chest pain, stroke, heart failure, and rhythm disturbances--are a major cause of post-operative a major cause of post-operative morbidity and mortality. Numerous studies have been conducted on postoperative MI in diverse populations, including patients with previous MI and others with coronary artery disease (CAD) who have or have not undergone coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. This review presents data from a number of these studies, which attempted to identify predictive tools and contributing factors to postoperative MI and other ischemic events. These potentially predictive methods and factors include previous MI, hemodynamic aberrations and monitoring, drug regimens, presence of CAD, CABG surgery, preoperative and intraoperative ischemia, congestive heart failure, thallium scintigraphy, and anesthesia.

Age Factors

Acute pulmonary vasoconstriction and thromboxane release during protamine reversal of heparin anticoagulation in awake sheep. Evidence for the role of reactive oxygen metabolites following nonimmunological complement activation.

When protamine (2 mg/kg) was injected intravenously into awake sheep 5 minutes after infusing heparin (200 units/kg), there was transient diffuse pulmonary vasoconstriction with mean pulmonary arterial pressure increasing from 18.0 +/- 0.7 to 43.8 +/- 2.7 mm Hg at 1 minute (x +/- SEM; n = 10). In addition, there was profound leukopenia (36.9 +/- 7.7% of baseline values at 2 minutes) with transpulmonary leukocyte sequestration and transiently elevated plasma concentrations of C3a (from 420 +/- 146 to 1,599 +/- 249 ng/ml; n = 3, p less than 0.01) and thromboxane B2 (from 0.30 +/- 0.05 to 6.3 +/- 2.8 ng/ml; n = 10, p less than 0.0001), without significant increases of plasma 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha, prostaglandin F2 alpha, leukotrienes, or histamine. Intravenous injection of protamine alone produced no hemodynamic effects and did not increase plasma levels of vasoconstrictor eicosanoids. Intravenous pretreatment with either a cyclooxygenase inhibitor or a hydrogen peroxide scavenger (dimethylthiourea) blocked both the increases of thromboxane levels and the pulmonary vasoconstriction.

Animals